There is a general requirement to minimize product losses in modern production systems, in particular in the milk and food industry, in the beverage industry as well as in the personal and health care industry. Moreover, the standards for the waste water quality of such systems are increasing. This is counteracted with the use of so-called pigging systems, with which a cleaning body that is named pig is moved through the pipeline system of the production system in order to push out valuable, free-flowing products without mixing with other media from the pipelines. Pig handling devices serve to automate this process step.
Such a pigging station, in which a pig is stored and can be automatically released into the pipeline system at the desired point in time, is introduced in WO 1995/033952 A1. This publication improves cleanability of the pigging station with improvements geared towards the holding of the pig in the station and enables in particular a better cleaning of the pig. Through a holding with play, the mobility of a pig in the cleaning agent flow is achieved such that the complete surface of the pig is cleaned. A further aspect in the igging station described therein is the dead-space-free design of the wall of the interior space of the station, in particular through an interior space contour shaped in a flow-suitable manner.
A pigging station through which a product can flow, which is designed as a sending and receiving station, is shown in DE 101 44 860 A1. Therein, it is suggested to provide two connections arranged coaxially to each other and designed so that the pig can pass through. The mobility of the pig within the pigging station is monitored by an adjustable catch bracket. Disadvantageous deviations of the product flow are avoided and the cleanability is enhanced.
DE 94 12 043 U1 suggests a pigging station in which the pig is fixable in its position, which can be flowed around, by two controllable stops. In addition to a first pipeline connection, the station has a second, laterally attached pipeline connection. The goal is to reduce dead spaces and to thus improve the product flow through the pigging station.
A device for catching a ball moving within a pipeline is suggested in DE 1 775 03 A. The device has a part that is detachable by means of a pusher valve, in which the ball is received. The goal is to be able to remove the ball from the pipeline in a simple and secure manner.